£46 
Particulars of the Life of Handel, 
[Oct. 1, 
elined the offer. He next visited Ham¬ 
burg, wliere, losing his father, he took a 
place ill the orchestra, and engaged to 
teach music, that he might be no burthen 
to his afflicted mother. At this place his 
superior talents so much pleased the 
public, that a performer, above whom he 
had been preferred, on leaving the opera- 
house drew his sword on him, and Han¬ 
del was preserved from a fatal thrust 
by a music-book buttoned under bis coat. 
It was at Hamburgh that lie composed 
his first opera of “ Almeriay’ being then, 
fcccordifig to one account, under fifteen 
years of age. 
He next visited Venice, and at that 
city composed his “ Aggrippina,’’ which 
was performed twenty-seven nights suc¬ 
cessively with unbounded applause. 
Home was his next stage, and the repu¬ 
tation he had acquired occasioned Car¬ 
dinal Ottoboni, a great musical amateur, 
to introduce him to Correlli, who played 
the first violin in his band. Handel com¬ 
posed a piece for him, which that cele¬ 
brated performer found too difflcult for 
bis execution. Here also the young 
Saxon had a trial of skill on the harpsi¬ 
chord, with the famous Scarletti, the 
event of which is differently related, but 
it is agreed, tliat upon the organ his su¬ 
periority was allowed even by Scarletti 
himself. 
Handel resided in Italy nearly six 
years, during which he composed an 
abundance of music of almost every spe- 
cijss. These early productions would be 
great curiosities, but many of them are 
lost to us. In returning to his native 
country, Hanover was the first place at 
which he stopt, where he met with Ste- 
phani, with whom lie had been acquainted 
at Venice, and who was then master of 
the chapel to our George I. then elector 
at Hanover. There was also a uoblemaii 
who had taken great notice of him in 
Italy, baron Kilmansegge, wdio so well 
recommended him to his electoral high¬ 
ness, that he immediately offered him a 
pension of fifteen hundred crowns as an 
inducement to stay. Many of the nobi¬ 
lity of England also were impatient for an 
opera from him, whereupon he composed 
“ llinaldo,” in which the famous Nico- 
lani sung. 
The low state of music at that time 
in London, and the wretched squabbles 
at the Haymarket, made the nobility de¬ 
sirous that he should compose for the 
theatre. The king was persuaded to 
form a party on the water, and Handel 
was directed to prepare some music for 
the occasion ; this gave birth to his de¬ 
servedly admired, “ Water-piece.'^ It 
was performed, and conducted by him¬ 
self unknown to his majesty, whose plea¬ 
sure, on hearing it, was equal to his sur¬ 
prise ; upon enquiring whose it was, the 
baron produced the composer to the 
King, bestowing upon him the highest 
approbation; and, as a token for it, was 
pleased to add a pension of 2Q01. a year 
for life. 
Handel was now settled in England 
upon a permanent establishment, and 
his reputation stood unrivalled. During 
the three first years of his time, be was 
principally engaged at the Earl of Bur¬ 
lington’s, in Piccadilly, where he fre¬ 
quently met Pope. The poet one day 
asked his friend Arbuthnot, of whose 
knowledge in music he liad a high opi¬ 
nion, What was his real opinion of 
Handel as a musician? Who replied, 
‘‘ Conceive the highest you can of his 
abilities, and they are far beyond any 
thing you can conceive." Pope never* 
tiieless declared, that “ Handel^s finest 
periormauces gave him no more pleasure 
than the airs of a common ballad." 
The city of London was now to be 
treated with a union of Dryden’s poetry 
and Handel’s music, in the performance 
of‘‘ Alexander’s Feast," which met with 
deserved success. About the year 1738, 
a tribute of respect was paid him by 
Mr. Tyers, proprietor of Vauxhall, who 
placed a marble statue of him in the 
gardens. His “ Messiah” is said to have 
been first performed in, 1741, at Covent 
Garden, and was but coldly received. 
Pope, void of taste for music, and envious 
of the fame cf Handel, vented his spleen 
in the following lines of his address to 
Dullness: 
Strong in new arms, ]o! Giant Handel 
stands, 
Like bold Briareus, with a hundred hands : 
To stir, to rouze, to shake, the soul he comes. 
And Jove’s own thunders follow Mars’» 
drums; 
Arrest him, empress, or you sleep no more. 
She heard, and drove luuj to th’ Hiberniaa 
shore. 
Duficiadlv, 65. 
About that time he embarked for 
Ireland, and, arriving in Dublin, waa 
honourably received by the nobility of 
that city, where he performed his Mes¬ 
siah, for the benefit of the city prison. 
After an absence of nine months, he 
returned to London, and entertained the 
city with an oratorio, from Samson Ago- 
nistesi. lu 1751, his eyes began to be 
affected 
